At 01:54 PM 6/13/98 -0400, Michael Hartley wrote:
>I know that Kai, being closer to your age, has made several points about
>the constraints on your time in your last few years of high school.
...
> Now that I am graduating from my Master's program and
>getting ready to enter medical school, I realize that those high school
>years were the most free and relaxed times I've had.
>
I'm 23 myself, and I wholehartedly agree with Michael. These years of your
life, when you are still in high school and college are the easiest. It
may seem that life is hectic, but you just need to put in perspective. Big
deal if SATs are coming up or you have a prom in May. These are minor
compared to life later. I worked my butt off my first two years at Georgia
Tech, and now I have time to enjoy, since I realize that life isn't just
living up to someone elses expectations (i.e. grades, degrees, awards, job
offers).
>The point of all of this is that at the age of 15 you do not have anywhere
>that you have to be. If you break down on the side of the road on the way
>home from school one day, who cares. You get your trailer, tow the car
>home, and fix it. No harm done.
Precisely, at my co-op job, many coworkers have criticized my choice of
such an unreliable car, but I retort by stating that I have very few
obligations in my life, so why bother. I don't have a wife to meet at the
doctor, a child to ferry home from school, or a tight schedule at work, so
I feel it isn't necessary for me to own one of those rice burners. I have
fun! And yes, I almost spent the night in a small town in Alabama, because
of a breakdown, but in reflection, I thought it was good experience.
>If you truly have the desire to get the car, and you are willing to put the
>time and money into it, by all means enjoy your MGB. It may be years
>before you can justify taking the time and spending the money to have an
>LBC again.
This is definately true. You seem to have a family which is willing to
support your endeavours. If you have some mechanical inclinations and some
desire to tinker with your MGB, then I would say you might be a good
candidate for this car. Others have pointed out that you should get
another car as a backup, or daily driver. I found it just as easy to
borrow another car from my family's stable of cars, but your situation may
be different.
Jarrod, do what you wish, but I am almost certain that you won't be forever
screwed for keeping the car. In my case, I got my MGBs when I was 18 and I
am forever indebted to having them. I had lots of fun, I learned an
immensely from working on them, and it wasn't all too expensive.
Now I have been cursing some aspects of my car lately, and I am moving
further towards getting a better quality German sports car, but that is
besides the point.
Drive the Nissan, and feel like a mole, or drive the MGB and have a smile
on your face. I am not bashing the Japanese cars (my family has 3 Toyotas,
1 Mercedes, and 3 MGBs).
Jarrod, email me privately and I discuss this with you further, if you so
desire. I have personal experience with this, so I think I have a good
idea of what it's about. Just let me say this, don't wait until you're 30
and have 2 kids and a wife that nags you, and a supervisor that constantly
harps on you, a boring ford explorer and chevrolet lumina. Then you'll be
wishing you had that MGB. Listers, if the above is your life, then ignore,
because I'm just kidding :).
Jay
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